Mercury plunges as UK could see coldest night in nearly a decade

Temperatures have been falling across the country amid forecasts of what could be the coldest night in almost a decade.

The mercury had plunged to minus 11.7C (11F) at Braemar in the Scottish Highlands just before midnight, while most of the UK had dipped below freezing.

Forecasters said there was the potential for a low of minus 16C (3.2F) to be seen in eastern Scotland overnight following a blast of cold weather than brought severe disruption to large parts of the country.

Fields and hills around Horton in Wiltshire covered in a blanket of snow (Steve Parsons/PA)

Several weather warnings have been issued for Sunday and Monday mornings, although some respite is expected with milder conditions moving in at the start of the week.